[09/25/12 - 09:17 AM]21.3 Million Watch Patriots-Ravens on "Sunday Night Football" on NBCNBC spins the numbers for Sunday, September 23.

[via press release from NBC]

21.3 MILLION WATCH PATRIOTS-RAVENS ON "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" ON NBC

For the first time in NBC's 7-year SNF history, Each of its First 4 Games Have Drawn More Than 21 million viewers

Viewership and National Rating Both Up From Last Year's Week 3 SNF Game

Sunday Night Football is No. 1 Primetime Program of the Week

NEW YORK - Sept. 25, 2012 - The Patriots-Ravens Sunday Night Football game on NBC was seen by an average of 21.3 million people and registered a national rating of 12.9 and a 21 share, according to official national ratings data released today by The Nielsen Company. The game was the No. 1 primetime program of the week for the third straight week, and led NBC to another Sunday night win while going head-to-head against the Emmy Awards on ABC. Additionally, this marks the first time in NBC's seven-year Sunday Night Football history that each of its first four games have drawn more than 21 million viewers.

The viewership and household rating for Sunday night's game (8:31-11:58 p.m. ET), in which the Ravens defeated the Patriots, 31-30, on a game-winning field goal, is up four and six percent, respectively, from last year's Sunday Night Football Week 3 contest, (Steelers-Colts, 20.4 million, 12.2/19).

The national rating peaked from 9:30-10 p.m. ET at a 14.2/21.

SNF NO. 1 SHOW OF THE WEEK: For the third straight week Sunday Night Football was the No. 1 primetime broadcast of the week among viewers, households and all the key adult and male demos.

SNF IS NO. 1 SHOW OF THE NIGHT, TOPS EMMYS: For the fifth straight time that Sunday Night Football went head-to-head with the Emmy Awards (NBC aired the Emmys in 2010), SNF delivered a convincing victory, topping the awards program this year by eight million viewers (21.3 million vs. 13.3 million).

· Sunday Night Football powered NBC to a Sunday night primetime win, averaging 17.5 million viewers from 7:30-11 p.m., 36 percent ahead of second place CBS (12.9 million from 7-11 p.m.), which was boosted by a lengthy NFL overrun.

SNF STARTS STRONG: NBC's four-game average viewership of 23.5 million is just three percent off from last year's 24.2 million for NBC's opening three weeks of the NFL season, the second-best start in the seven-year history of Sunday Night Football, and the second-best start to a season for a primetime package in 16 years (23.6 million for ABC in 1996).

· The four-game average household rating of 14.2/23 is just two percent down fom last year (14.5/23), the second-best start in the seven-year history of Sunday Night Football, and the second-best start to a season for a primetime package in 13 years (14.9/25 in 1999 on ABC).

SNF NO. 1 SHOW ON PRIMETIME TELEVISION: For the 2011-2012 primetime television season (September 19-April 16), Sunday Night Football ranked as the most-watched (persons 2+) and highest-rated show, and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54, as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, based on Nielsen live + same day data. Additionally, SNF was the No. 3 show among Women 18-34, and the No. 4 show among Women 18-49.

*2012-2013 Primetime television season began Sunday, Sept. 23

Sunday Night Football has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series each of the last four years.